<p>The role of teacher agency in educational reform among rural secondary school teachers remains under-explored. Drawing on an ecological perspective, this study examined teacher agency exerted in curriculum reform. An ethnographic study was conducted in a rural school in southwest China. The findings identified that teacher agency was variously enacted according to diverse factors in the macro-, meso-, and micro-level in the curriculum reform. The macro-level focused on the powerful status of exam-oriented education, local evaluation system, and government policy. The meso-level was affected by teacher training courses and teachers’ interaction with colleagues, leaders, and family members. The micro-level was related to teachers’ emotions, identity, and motivation and students’ performance. Teachers’ active or passive agency was enacted in response to different levels at the macro-, meso-, and micro-levels. This study reveals the significance of fostering rural teachers’ agency to provide equitable English education opportunities for students in rural areas.</p>